Peter Claffey’s Bold Take: Westeros Makes Knighthood Harder — but Aragorn Would Still Win

At New York Comic Con, Peter Claffey — who plays Dunk in HBO’s upcoming spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — compared knighthood in Westeros to knighthood in Middle-earth, sparking a short conversation about tone and morality. For context, George R.R. Martin’s approach to fantasy often focuses on gritty politics rather than fairy-tale clarity; a quote from George R.R. Martin has been used before to highlight that difference.

1. About A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
2. Knighthood comparison at New York Comic Con
3. Panel follow-up and exact quotes

About A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

The series follows Dunk (Peter Claffey) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as they travel the Seven Kingdoms during a period when the Targaryen line still rules and the great dragons are extinct. HBO developed the show as a prequel spinoff tied to George R.R. Martin’s world, and it focuses on smaller-scale adventures and the social realities of knighthood in Westeros. The production aims to adapt the popular Dunk and Egg novellas for television, and Claffey is one of the show’s leading actors.

Knighthood comparison at New York Comic Con

During a panel, Claffey said, “It takes a lot more to be a knight than it does in Middle-earth.” He explained that, in his view, Westeros presents *more sinister and adult themes*, which make knighthood harder to practice in public life.

Claffey added: “This world that George has created, there are a lot more sinister and adult themes that are presented. A lot of treachery and backstabbing, and it’s hard to find your way.”

Photos: Steffan Hill/HBO

Panel follow-up and exact quotes

After the panel, Claffey tried to soften the comparison, worried it might inflame fans from both sides. Later in a conversation with press, he expanded on his view and said, “There is so much more honor present [in Middle-earth] because of the adult themes in Game of Thrones and George’s world.”

He also noted that many people in Westeros advance by “doing hideous things and stabbing people in the back, literally and figuratively,” and that a knight who tries to keep old moral standards faces obstacles and anxiety. In his words, “a knight with some status must have some head fog.”

Claffey pointed to franchise examples where oath and politics clash, referencing characters such as Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon and Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones as illustrations of how morals can be compromised under pressure.

Finally, Claffey offered a blunt, direct comparison between his character and one of Middle-earth’s best-known heroes: “Aragorn beats Dunk’s ass any day of the week.”